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User blog:Agibbs21/Origin of Tomorrow
The Origin of Tomorrow As is the case with words commonly used in the English language today, the origin of a word is often from some obscure source. Take for instance the English word ‘tomorrow’(Stantton). A little known fact is that the word is derived from Tú Mañana , the name of a girl who lived in San Fernando, Spain around the 16th century. There is a legend that is often retold throughout Spain about a princess who, through dance and public speaking, was able to stop a war by introducing the hope of living for today to create a happy tomorrow. The legend is often told beginning with the family heritage of Catalina de Tú Mañana. Her mother was a famous flamenco dancer, named Alma Milagros de Fuenta, who married a talented, yet poor, guitarrista for love (Obispo). Of course, Catalina’s maternal grandparents and family were against the marriage due to the social status of the guitarrista, but had the holy union in secret. After the marriage, the guitarrista revealed that his full name was Prince Alfonso Agapito Mañana (Obispo). He was from the neighboring country of Buenos Aires; but, left because his parents wanted him to marry a girl from San Fernando who held some sort of political status for none other than political reasons, of which he refused to comply. Nevertheless, after living on the streets and wandering through towns to make a meager living by serenading in the town squares, he met Alma by chance, and the rest is history (Stewart). The first child born to them was a daughter whom they named Catalina de Tú Mañana on May 5, 1543 (Tush). When she was born, she had shallow breathing and the midwife thought she would not make it past the first night. By some miracle, the child’s health grew stronger. Growing up, her education included dance and music lessons, politics, public speaking, writing, and princess training. The country of San Fernando and Buenos Aires knew of her birth story and found it to be very inspiring. Around the year 1564, the united country of San Fernando and Buenos Aires was on the brink of war with rivaling country, Merced. Much of the country was uncertain and scared that a war would spark in a moment. Catalina toured the country to help raise morale and funds by making public speeches and performing. Each time she prepared to make a public appearance, the people chanted “Tú Mañana ! Tú Mañana !”, which translates to ‘tomorrow’. A visiting diplomat from Tuskegee recorded an encounter at a time when Catalina just so happened to give one such speech (Tush) : “One could hear a sound like thunder that at first brought a sense of wariness. As I further approached my destination, words became more distinct and I realized that it was the chanting of a single phrase: “Tú Mañana!” As I passed through the gates of the city, I could see bedraggled and worried people that filled the streets, yet their eyes shined with hope. It was then that I realized that these people were not afraid to live today when the next held so much promise.” The encounter was spread and gossiped about in all nations and tongues, which prevented any war from taking place. The name caught on and was translated in various ways, eventually becoming a commonly used word to talk of the future. Sources Obispo, San Luis.'' Love and Politics. Spain Press. 1588. Book. 3 Sept. 2014 Tush, Cameron P. The War that Spain Would Have Had.'' 3 Jun. 1602 3 Sept. 2014 Stantton, Mark A. A Brief Encyclopedia on the Origin of English Words. ''5 Nov. 1998. Web. 3 Sept. 2014 Stewart, John H. L. ''A Brief Chronicles of Nations. 6 Mar. 1636. Archive. 3 Sept. 2014 Category:Blog posts Category:People